Life-saving garment.



E. M. LOWY.

LIFE SAVING GARMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 16. 1918.

1,291,650. Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

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E. M. LOWY.

LIFE SAVI'NG GARMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16, 191a- 1,291,650. Patented Jan. 14,1919.

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UNITE srar s PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL M. L WY OF NEW YORK, N.'Y., AssreNoR To LOWY LIFE SAVING SUIT CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LIFE-SAVING GARMENT.

st'ru'cted without an aperture or openingexcept atthe top or neck portion where there is a large openingto permit of the garment beingdr awn on over the legs and body'of thewearer inthe manner of a pair of trousers and the insertion of the arms mto the arm sleeves; and the object of this invention is 'to provide a garment of the class specified having front "and back, or inner and outer hood members formed in connection with the top bodyportion of the garment and adapted to-be'manipulated in such manner as-to form a complete head inclosing hood entirely closed, except for a face opening at the front, the back ho'od member being adapted to inclose and to operate in connection withithe front hood member when in use'and to form 'a' complete head inclosing hood which is water and air tight, or approximately so.

The entire garment is composed of flexible waterproof material, it being understood that said material includes rubber or other waterproof substances, and may include a combination of rubber and fibrous material, and when in use only the face of the wearer is exposed. A particular feature of the invention resides in the form, construction and use of the separate hood members which are interdependent in construction and use, and

1 which form when in use a complete head inclosing'hoo'd lltiVlng a front face opening only, and which conforms to the shape of the head, face and neck of the wearer to form 'a watertight closure for .the entire garment, and with'theforegoing objects and Others in view, the invention consists in a garment of the class specified, constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following. specification, of which the accompanying'drawings form a part, in whi'chthe' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 191.9.

Application med March 16, 1918. Serial NO. 222,793.

separate parts of my improvement are "designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which: I

Figure 1 is a side view showing my life saving garmentas in use;

, Fig. 2 a perspective side View of thetop of the garment;

Fig. 3 a view similarto Fig.2but showing the parts in a-difler'ent position;

Fig, 4 a view similar to Figs. 2 and '3" but showing or partially-showing the method of applying and usingthe garment;

Fig. 6 a plan view of apart of the device as shown in Fig. sand showing -theparts in a different position and,

Fig.7 a view similar to Fig. i but showing a modification.

My improved life saving garment comprises a body portion 10' having leg portions 10 and arm sleevc'members 11, and at the top of the bo'd'y' portion is "a frontorinne'r hood member 12 having a'front face opening 12 and as shown in Fig. 2 the top of the fronthood member 12 is divided centrally and forwardly and backwardly as shown at 12 to form two separate side members 12 having 'straps 1'2 and 12, andthe strap 12 on one'Of-the side'members'1'2 is provided with a reduced portion 12 adapted to be passedtlirougha slot 12 in'the other side member 12, and the strap 12 ofthe last named side member, or'that in which the slot 12 is formed, is provided with a buckle 12.

At the back top part of'the body portion of the garment is the back or outer head member 16 which is formed'from' orconsists of a pouch lo integral with the'back of the body portion of the garment or integral with, orcontinuous with, the side members 12 of the front ho'od member 12, andwhen saidp'ouch isextended as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the back part thereof is tapered downwardly and inwardly to thebottom of the backpart of the body portion of the garment and there is a contmu'ousopenin'g in the top of said pouch "extending from the point 16-to* the face opening 12* in the front hood 1nember '1-2, and this constitutes the entrance Opening 19 'of the garment and which permits of the garment being drawn on over the legs and body portion of the wearer as'herein set out;

From the foregoing description it .will be seen that the front hood member and the back hood member and the continuous side walls of said members form the neck portion of the garment when the latter is in use, and the back of the pouch 16 or the hood member 16 formed therefrom is provided with atransverse strap or straps 17 of any suitable material, and which are vulcanized or otherwise secured to said pouch, and the side portions of the pouch 16 or the hood member formed therefrom is provided with keepers 18 through which the strap or straps 17 are adapted to be passed in the operation of applying or using the garment as shown in Figs. 1 and 1.

In applying or using my improved life saving garment it is drawn on over the feet, legs and body, as herein described, after which the arms are passed into and through the arm sleeves 11, after which the strap 12 is passed through the slot 12 in the opposite front hood member 12, as shown 1n Fig. 3, after which the head is inserted into hood member, or said hood member drawn on over the head, after which the straps 12 and 12 are drawn tight and secured beneath the chin as shown in Fig. 1, after which the back or outer hood member 16 is drawn forwardly and over the head and the strap or straps 17 having been passed through the keepers 18 are drawn tightly around the neck as indicated in Fig. 1 and secured beneath the chin by means of the buckle 17, of said straps may be passed around the neck a number of times and tied at the front, or secured in any other way, and in this operation the side walls of the entrance opening 19 and which form a part of the back or outer hood 16 are drawnaround the neck and beneath the chin, in which operation they are formed into loops 16, and in this operation both the hood members are closely adjusted to the head of the wearer and the entrance opening 19 is completely closed, and the separate hood members which closely lit the head also close the face opening 12, and the said hood members orthe parts thereof, operating in connection with the person of the wearer of the garment securely close said garment against the entrance of water thereinto, and said hood members form a com plete head inclosing hood, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, said hood being provided with a face opening only.-

The construction shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 is the same as that shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, except in the method of forming and securing the front or inner hood memher. In the construction shown. in Figs. 5 and 6, the front hood member is divided centrally of the top and forwardly and backwardly as shown at 12* the same as in the construction shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4c, and

the separate parts or side portions 12 of said front hood member are connected over the head of the wearer by strap and buckle or snap fastening devices 20 of any kind or class, and. the strap devices employed are preferably made of elastic material and any desired number of said devices may be employed, and by the use of these-fastening devices the entrance opening 19 or that part thereof between the point 16 and the front hood member and which is closed by drawingforward and folding and securing the back hood member 16, as herein described, may be made longer or shorter as will be readily understood, and in this way the said entrance opening may be more securely closed in the above operation.

The operation of drawing the back or outer hood member 16 forwardly and securing it over the head and around the neck will be the same as that hereinbefore described when the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4 is employed. The construction shown in Fig. 7 is the same as that shown in Figs. 5 and 6, except that the side portions 12 of the front hood member are made shorter and are connected across the top of the head of the wearer by straps or similar fastening devices 21 which may be tied, or otherwise secured, and the side portions 12 in the construction shown in Fig. 7 together with the straps 21 and the neck part 22 of thisconstruction form the front hood memher. 7

From. the foregoing description it will be seen that while three different forms of construction are shown and described, the only difference is in the construction of the front hood member and the method of ap-, plying and securing it to the head, the construction, operation and use of the back hood member being the same in all cases, and in each case the side walls of the entrance opening 19 are continuous with the side walls of the separate hood members and constitute with the hood members, the top or neck por tion of the garment and form a complete .head inclosing hood whereby water is excluded from. the garment, this result being also facilitated by the fact that the wearer of thegarment when said garment is in use will be supported with his head, neck and the top part of his body out of water, and in this connection it must be borne in mind that, in practice,the upper body part of the garment and the arms and neck portion thereof if desirable will be provided as in other garments of this class with buoyant padding consisting of any suitable buoyant material and samples of which are shown and described in U. S. Letters Patent Nos. 1,180,839 issued Apr. 25, 1916; 1,002,912, Sept. 12, 1911; and 1,044,652 Nov. 19, 1912, together with methods of usingthe same, but as the invention described and claimed herein. relates only to the entrance orneckopening, and as the use of such buoyantljorfloat n'iateria'l is Well known'to all those familiar with this class of devices the same is not shown or described. v

The construction shown in Figs. 1, '2, 3, s: airdfTis takenfrom a prior application filed by me September 24:, 1917, Serial No. 192,911, life saving garments, and differs from theconstruction shown in said prior application in the division of the front hood member forwardly and backwardly over the head whereby the entranceopeningis extended from the point 16 to the bottom of the faceopeningin the front hood member, and in the means employed for securing and completing said hood member, the said hood member in said prior applica tion being continuous or undivided.

With this improvement, as with that shown and described in the application above referred to, practically the entire weight of the garment, including the lead or other weights which are customarily fitted to the feet of the garment is carried by the head of the wearer, or said garment is suspended from the head of the wearer, and there is an absence of any tendency to choke the wearer by reason of the method of closing the hood members around the neck, which tendency is present in constructions of this class where the garment is suspended from and secured around the neck only.

It will be also noted that my improvement does not involve the use of buttons. clasps, hinges and other metal fastening devices. the only thing of this kind shown and described being the buckles 12* and 17, but these buckles are not necessary and if employed they will be made of non-corrosive material.

Another advantage of my improvement is found in the fact that when constructed as shown and described the garment may be put on, or applied to the wearer when necessary in the shortest possible time, and this is frequently a very important element to be considered, and in order to facilitate this operation the entire garment, including the body portion, legs and arm sleeves will be made large and the garment may be drawn on over the usual clothes which may be in use at the time, and the separate leg members are not absolutely essential, and other forms for the body portion of the garment may be adapted in order to facilitate the use thereof by women as well as men.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A union garment of the class described provided at the neck part thereof with an entrance opening and with inner and outer hood members, said inner hood member being divided forwardly and backwardly' of the top thereof into separate side port-ions having means whereby they may be detach ably connected across the top of the head of the wearer, and the outer hood member being adapted to be drawn on over the head of the wearer and the inner hood member and to be closed around the neck of the wearer and so as to form a complete head inclosing'hood and to close said opening.

2. A union garment of the class described provided at the neck part thereof with an entrance opening and with front and back hood members, the adjacent faces of which are open and form part of said entrance opening, and the side walls of said front andback hood members being continuous and said front hood member being divided forwardly and backwardly of the top thereof into separate similar side portions provided with strap devices for connecting said side portions over the head of the wearer and the other hood member being adapted to be drawn on over the head of the wearer and over the divided hood member and the side portions thereof being adapted to be drawn forwardly and around the neck of the wearer and to be secured so as to close said entrance opening.

A union garment of the class described provided at the neck portion thereof with an entrance opening and inner and outer hood forming members .adapted to form a complete head inclosing hood having a face opening and to close said opening, the adjacent faces of said hood members being open and forming part of said entrance opening and the side walls of said members and of said opening being continuous, the inner hood forming member being divided forwardly and backwardly of the top thereof and having strap devices for securing the parts thereof across the top of the head of the wearer and the outer hood member being adapted to be drawn on over the inner hood member and over the head of the wearer and the side portions thereof being adapted to be secured around the neck so as to close said entrance opening.

4. A union garment of the class described provided at the neck part thereof with an entrance opening and front and back hood forming members. the front hood member being divided centrally and forwardly and backwardly of the top thereof to form separate similar side portions having means for connecting the same across the top of the head of the wearer and the back hood member being adapted to be drawn forwardly over the head of the wearer and over the front hood member and to be secured around the neck of the wearer.

5. A union garment of the class described provided at thetop thereof with front and back hood forming members, said front hood member being composed of separate parts adapted to be secured together, said garment being provided with an entrance opening extending from the back hood member to the neck portion of the front hood member, said entrance opening being partially closed by the connection of the separate parts of the front hood member, and means for securing said hood members to the head of the wearer.

6. A life saving garment rovided with an enlarged neck portion forming an entrance opening and having two oppositely arranged hood members, one of which is split transversely of the top and provided with means for connecting the parts thereof over the head of the wearer, said hood members being adapted to be drawn on over the head of the wearer and to form in connection with each other and with the neck of the garment a complete closure for the entrance opening. 7

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of the subscribing witnesses this 14th day oi. March 1918.

. EMIL M. LOWY. Witnesses:

C. E. MULREANY, H. E. THOMPSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratents Washington, D. C. 

